I've Become the King of Villains in the Game

Chapter 471: Chapter 332 Joining Forces, Yet Not Fully United

“I’m grateful for the esteem of the Round Table Knights,”

Chen Lun’s thumb gently brushed over the surface of the black iron box, feeling its coolness and a rough, sandblasted texture. He chuckled lightly and said.

The iron box in his hand was very similar to the “space packaging” from the Silver Dragon Trade Association; both were single-use consumables that would self-destruct once opened and the contents removed.

‘The club really is generous with its rewards, just giving them away like this… Of course, it’s also very possible that this is due to what the No-Face Waiter said, with a serious loss of members, so a gesture like this could motivate others to continue to give their all.’

Chen Lun kept a neutral expression on his face while thinking to himself.

‘Regardless, this isn’t bad for me… The club has fulfilled all the requests I made offhand, and now I’ve finally collected the ten pieces of Supernatural Knowledge from God’s Pathway Sequence Eight. I’ll need to set aside some time to organize them.’

At this moment, the carriage slowly came to a stop.

“Leader, we have arrived at the entrance to the city center isolation zone. It’s surrounded by a circle of tall metal railings, which looks somewhat strange…”

Outside the carriage curtain, Golov’s voice came through.

“Additionally, the local Law Enforcers have spotted us and are heading this way.”

“Alright, I know,”

Chen Lun replied.

He rose from the leather seat and, holding his silver staff, said to the others:

“Connie, Alec, and Maggie stay behind. The rest of you, come with me to take a look.”

“Yes, Mr. Jack,”

The group hastily responded.

Although Maggie was somewhat displeased, she obeyed the boss’s orders.

She was originally the team’s logistics medic, not a combatant. The leader had let her join the fight initially just to assess her practical abilities… After that, she mostly stayed behind to accompany the non-combatants.

Chen Lun led the others off the carriage and immediately felt a strong gust of cold wind.

Snowflakes began to fall from the sky, melting on contact with their bodies and adding to the chill. Fortunately, the members of the Circus who got off the carriage were all Transcendents and didn’t care much for the low temperature.

Chen Lun noticed that the No-Face Waiter had not left for the Spirit World but had followed them off the carriage, standing quietly behind the group. He secretly speculated that this Murder Club’s Spiritual Realm Messenger might have had other tasks to undertake, such as observing him and conveying finer details and developments back to the Round Table Knights.

The No-Face Waiter, sensing Chen Lun’s gaze, bowed slightly in his direction. Chen Lun responded with a polite smile, neither dismissing him nor initiating verbal communication.

There seemed to be an unspoken understanding between them.

Chen Lun shifted his gaze back to the front.

The spacious stone road stretched onward, with landscape trees on either side stripped of their leaves, presenting a barren and desolate scene.

The road was blocked by a horizontal metal fence not far ahead, with dense black railings as thick as an arm and six or seven meters tall, even separating the buildings before and after, like a sudden growth of steel trees in the middle of the city that divided the two sides.

What was most eerie was,

Compared to their current clear environment, on the other side of the fence, the sky was dark and murky, with extremely low visibility, as if enshrouded by thick, heavy clouds, casting an ominous darkness over everything.

It seemed as if the fence marked the boundary between the worlds of light and shadow.

At this moment, dozens of people were walking towards the carriage along the fence. They were roughly divided into three groups: the Investigators from the Shelter in suits and uniforms, the Monks from the Moon Church in black robes, and nine men and women wearing broad-brimmed brown hats and short leather jackets.

Leading the Shelter’s contingent was a short, middle-aged man with hair that was even turning white.

“Mr. Jack Spett?”

He asked gravely and solemnly, looking towards Chen Lun.

“That’s me.”

Chen Lun nodded his head, confirming his identity.

“I am Corliss, Pine Sand City’s Shelter’s chief officer, acting in place of the Judge.”

The short man extended his hand politely and spoke with a deep voice.

Chen Lun shook his hand and exchanged pleasantries.

Meanwhile, he discreetly ascertained that this acting Judge before him was a [Nature Faction Sequence Five – Perfumer], a Sequence particularly adept at woodland combat, capable of using crafted transcendental perfumes for sustained augmentation and healing.

“I am honored that Mr. Jack could lead his team to participate in the counteraction against the Red Calamity, and on behalf of all at the Shelter, as well as the residents of Pine Sand City, I salute you…”

Corliss revealed a composed smile.

He then proceeded to introduce the people with him to Chen Lun.

From his words, Chen Lun learned that the leading black-robed, short-haired old man from the Moon Church was a Bishop named Tobin, also a Sequence Five Transcendent. The men and women in broad-brimmed hats and leather jackets were from the Black Knife Brotherhood’s “Black Knife Assassins,” led by a woman in her thirties named Roxanne.

Corliss made no mention of the Black Knife Brotherhood’s past misdeeds and was even quite amicable with them.

Chen Lun understood that this was because the Shelter was fully accepting all assistance in the face of the immense threat of the Red Calamity. Similarly to the Murder Club, the Black Knife Brotherhood had begun contending for the seats within the Righteous God Church.

Though their goals differed, they were temporarily united against a common enemy.

“It seems today is a good day; Lady Roxanne has led her team here to support us, and now Mr. Jack has also arrived… I believe we can take this opportunity to join forces and attempt to clear Pine Sand City of the Red Calamity.”

Corliss said with a smile.

At this moment, Roxanne approached Chen Lun and extended her hand in friendly greeting.

“Pleased to meet you, Mr. Jack…”

Her voice was deep and sonorous, not like that of a typical woman.

This leader of the Black Knife Assassins stood nearly 1.8 meters tall, almost the same height as Chen Lun as she stood before him.

A polite smile hung on Chen Lun’s face. After greeting her with a hello, he was about to shake hands with her when, unexpectedly, she withdrew her hand first… as if deliberately playing a prank.

“Oh, maybe I should call you ‘Spade Knight’ instead, right, Mr. Qiaoke?”

Roxanne glanced at the faceless servants behind the circus folk, her face revealing a playful smile.

She recognized them as the Spiritual Realm Messengers from the Murder Club.

The circus people were instantly alarmed, as they hadn’t expected the other party to uncover their leader’s alter ego; after all, “Qiaoke” was an S-grade fugitive wanted by the Empire… and at this very moment, the officials from the Shelter were standing right in front of them!

They immediately felt a surge of anger. This woman named Roxanne was not only disrespectful to Mr. Jack, but she also revealed this fact on purpose, obviously setting a trap!

Meanwhile, the members of the Shelter and the Moon Church, upon hearing Roxanne’s words, showed shocked expressions and reflexively went on guard, encircling the circus folk.

“I have no idea what you are talking about, Miss Roxanne.”

Chen Lun let his suspended hand drop and smiled faintly.

Without any solid proof, he wouldn’t admit anything. Although unclear how the other party had discovered his other identity, a few words alone were not enough to convince the Shelter.

Moreover, with the competition for the Righteous God’s position imminent, even if he were revealed, it would only mean representing the Murder Club in the confrontation with the Red Apple Church… The Shelter’s higher-ups undoubtedly understood the pros and cons.

Chen Lun was certain that the official stance would be ambiguous and they would not act against him lightly.

Just as Corliss had not made a move against Roxanne and her group.

As expected, Corliss and Tobin, the two leaders, immediately raised their hands to stop their subordinates, urging them not to overreact.

“Miss Roxanne was just joking with everyone, don’t take it seriously… How could Mr. Jack possibly be an S-grade fugitive,” Corliss mediated.

He even chuckled, wearing a meaningful expression, and added:

“Even if Mr. Jack were that ‘Spade Knight’, he must surely be loyal to the Empire, otherwise he wouldn’t have been hunting the Red Apple Church so relentlessly.”

The subordinates from the various factions calmed down, but only Corliss, Tobin, Roxanne, and Chen Lun knew full well that regardless of past identities, their current goal was unified, which was the Red Apple Church.

In the face of the Empire’s great enemy, everything else seemed insignificant.

Roxanne raised her eyebrows and chuckled a few times, then extended her hand again:

“Sorry, Mr. Jack, I don’t like too serious of an atmosphere; I was just messing with you… Let’s get reacquainted. Roxanne, the leader of the Black Knife Assassins.”

But a touch of regret flashed in the depths of her eyes.

Chen Lun, however, did not engage with her any further but turned to look at Corliss from the Shelter, and asked:

“Mr. Corliss, I would like to know the specifics of the Red Calamity in Pine Sand City.”

“No problem, Mr. Jack.”

The small man glanced at Roxanne, whose complexion had changed due to Jack’s disregard. Her fake smile had vanished, leaving behind only an indifferently impassive face as she politely moved to one side, returning to the front of the group of Black Knife Assassins.

“The Red Calamity here originated from the Red Apple Church that was originally stationed in Pine Sand City. They had planned in advance and sent additional Combat Power before triggering the chaos… As a result, even the combined forces of our Shelter and the monks from the Moon Church can only just hold them at bay,” Corliss narrated solemnly.

“Their Combat Power is currently trapped inside the ‘Nightfall Domain’, but there is a complete ‘Red Rose Squad’ within, a Sequence Five Bishop, nearly twenty Mid Sequence priests, and an incalculable number of Low Sequence Transcendent monks.”

Chen Lun had already conjectured about the main city’s level of the Red Calamity Area, but even after hearing the intelligence, he still found it troublesome.

He pondered for a moment before speaking again:

“The Nightfall Domain?”

“That is an ‘A-grade Mysterious Object – Silent Night Quicksand’ bestowed upon us by the servants of the Gods from our Hermitage, currently entrusted to our use. It can create a Nightfall Domain, weakening the mystical forces within and restricting the entry and exit of living beings,” the elderly man in the black robe beside Corliss interjected.

Chen Lun nodded his head in understanding.

He thought to himself that it was no wonder that an A-grade Mysterious Object had been approved for use in combating the Red Apple Church in a main city’s Red Calamity Area; perhaps it was precisely because of the support of such Mysterious Objects that the ongoing spread of the Red Calamity in Pine Sand City was barely contained.

Chen Lun looked towards the interior of the nearby fence, as if he could see through the gloomy environment to the Red Apple Church deep within.

“I agree to cooperate, Mr. Corliss, but I do not wish to act alongside the Black Knife Brotherhood.”

Corliss, upon hearing the first part, showed a satisfied smile, but the latter part of Chen Lun’s statement took him by surprise.

The Black Knife Assassins by his side also froze, soon showing displeasure, and Roxanne, now at the front, snorted coldly and scoffed:

“It seems Mr. Jack is quite confident… That’s fine then, we don’t want to be held back by some irrelevant individuals.”